1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to intelligent transportation systems. More specifically, the invention relates to blind spot warning systems for motor vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
When a driver of a motor vehicle desires to change lanes the driver will first glance in an appropriate side view mirror to make sure the lane is clear. However, the view provided by the side view mirror is limited and does not show the entire lane adjacent to the motor vehicle. The portion of the adjacent lane not shown in the side view mirror is called a blind spot. To check the blind spot requires the driver to turn their head and look over their shoulder, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation since it requires the driver to completely take his or her eyes off of the road ahead.
To minimize the need for the driver to look over his or her shoulder, some vehicles have implemented blind spot warning systems. Blind spot warning systems use an external detector and a processor to alert a driver to the presence of an object in the blind spot before the driver changes lanes. However, existing systems assume fixed blind spot boundaries and only provide a warning if an object is within the fixed blind spot boundaries. These systems do not account for those drivers who adjust their side view mirrors to, for example, show the blind spot and create a new blind spot having different boundaries.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved blind spot warning system.